New Girl was a staple comedy in most households for all seven seasons of its run, but the beloved Jessica Day was not seen on television after it wrapped in 2018, or at least the actress who portrayed Jess Day, Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer, Our Idiot Brother). According to The Hollywood Reporter, Deschanel has finally spoken up about what role convinced her to get back into the scripted television scene after New Girl concluded.

Before all of the strike hullabaloo, Deschanel made it clear that she was temporarily stepping away from acting in order to spend time with her two children. While being with her children is a more than valid reason to take a step back, Deschanel admitted that she was quite burnt out from constantly playing the eclectic Jessica Day for a full seven seasons. She made it clear that she needed a break and was even considering not returning to television at all.

Deschanel stated that “It was a huge undertaking. I couldn’t picture myself getting back into the game like that, especially not right away.” Deschanel continued with, “I thought maybe I would just do movies, or movies and music. I needed to give myself the time to think about how much I could really take that on.”

But Deschanel’s own plans were sidetracked when the actress was given the opportunity to star in season three of the Apple TV+ series Physical. She states that she knew she couldn’t pass up that opportunity, especially since she was already highly fond of the series. Deschanel joined the series taking on two roles. Deschanel portrayed Kelly Kilmartin, an on-the-rise exercise star who also takes on the ruthless inner monologue of Sheila Rubin.

A statement from Deschanel states, “I only do stuff that I’m really excited about. I love the show! … Annie [Weisman], who created the show, is just a super talent. I’m a big fan of Rose Byrne. The whole cast is just so great,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Deschanel also noted that she feels extremely lucky to have a “renewed passion” for action; the actress is happy to be able to focus on meaningful collaborations and projects.